Government approves thousands of deals with states it condemns for human rights abuses

By Kim Sengupta, Defence correspondent, The Independent
July 17, 2013

The Government has issued more than 3,000 export licences for military and intelligence equipment worth a total of £12.3bn to countries which are on its own official list for human rights abuses.

Click image to enlarge graphic

The existence of one licence to Israel and the Occupied Territories has not been made public until today. Worth £7.7bn, it relates to cryptographic equipment, which has dual defence and civilian use.

The scale and detail of the deals emerged after a forensic investigation by a committee of MPs, who also discovered that strategically controlled items have been sent to Iran, China, Sri Lanka, Russia, Belarus and Zimbabwe – all of which feature prominently on the Foreign Office’s list of states with worrying civil rights records.

There are even three existing contracts for Syria, notwithstanding the fact that the UK is sending equipment to rebels fighting the Assad regime and is considering arming them. There are also 57 for Argentina, which is not on the list, but which remains in confrontation with Britain over the Falklands.

The Government had stated that it would not issue export licences for goods “which might be used to facilitate internal repression” or “might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts”.

However, the report by the Committees on Arms Export Controls** found there were 62 licences for selling to Iran, again overwhelmingly cryptographic equipment. This also features heavily in the 271 licences for Russia, along with biotechnology equipment, sniper rifles, laser weapons systems, weapon sights and unmanned air vehicles (drones).

Both countries have been involved in large-scale supplies of weaponry to President Assad, and members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have been on the ground, supporting regime forces, in Syria. The committee points out that the contracts should be examined both on grounds of “internal oppression” and “prolonging regional conflicts”.

The Syrian licences are for components for four-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection, which is believed to have been for an aid organisation. But there are also hydrophone arrays, which can be used to listen underwater. The report points out that the latter have a dual use and the Government needs to confirm that it is not breaking international sanctions against Syria.

Yesterday William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, announced that hoods offering protection against chemical weapons would be sent to the Syrian rebels. There have been persistent reports of the regime using sarin nerve gas.

The suppliers to China have the largest numbers of licences, with 1,163 worth £ 1.8bn. As well as cryptographic equipment, this includes direct military communications equipment, body armour and weapons sights.

The committee urged the Government to examine whether this infringes the EU’s arms embargo on Beijing and whether it should, in fact, seek to expand the embargo to include all military goods.

On Argentina the report is not only critical of the existing contracts, which consist mainly of cryptographic components, small arms ammunition and lasers, but the failure to press allies not to supply Buenos Aires with arms.

It states: “The committee concluded that it is reprehensible that the Government, given the relatively recent history of British ships being sunk in the Falklands War by missiles supplied by a Nato member [French Exocets], is unwilling to lobby other governments.”

The MPs noted that the Argentine Foreign Minister recently stated: “I don’t think it will take another 20 years” to retake the islands.

Only two states of 27 on the Foreign Office’s human rights list – North Korea and South Sudan –did not have licences to their names. Among the others, Saudi Arabia has 417 licences with a value of £1.8bn; Pakistan 219 worth almost £50m; Sri Lanka 49 at £8m and Zimbabwe 46, worth just under £3m.

Sir John Stanley, the chairman of the committee and a former Defence minister, said he had decided to carry out the inquiry into arms licences after the Foreign Office began to publish its human rights reports. He added: “When I first wrote to Vince Cable [the Business Secretary] I had no idea that the figures involved would be so large – I thought someone may have added some zeros by mistake; £12bn is an absolutely huge sum. I asked Vince Cable to confirm they were accurate and, apart from a small adjustment for Iran, they all were.

“We shall continue to seek more clarification from the Government. We would like to know, for example, whether the cryptographic equipment can be used on internal dissent, and its possible military use.

“There are other, quite clear areas of concern; 600 assault rifles were sold to Sri Lanka, despite the very well documented cases of human rights abuse there. We have to ask the Government why this is the case.

“The Government needs to acknowledge that there’s an inherent conflict between strongly promoting arms exports to authoritarian regimes whilst strongly criticising their lack of human rights at the same time. Instead they continue to claim these two policies ‘are mutually reinforcing’.”

Jewish state cited alongside Iran, China, Libya and Syria among countries where Britain has wide-ranging concerns

By Cassandra Vinograd, AP/Times of IsraelJuly 17, 2013

LONDON — Britain has issued more than 3,000 licenses allowing the export of arms and military equipment to countries where the UK has concerns about human rights, according to a report from lawmakers published Wednesday.

The House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls said the combined value of the individual export licenses came to more than 12 billion pounds ($18.1 billion). It urged the government to exercise more caution in approving applications for the export of arms to countries with authoritarian regimes.

Britain’s Foreign Office has a list of 27 nations where the U.K. government has wide-ranging concerns about the human rights situation, including Myanmar, China, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya and Syria. According to the report, all but two of the 27 — North Korea and South Sudan — have valid export licenses in play. Among the countries of concern*, the largest number of licenses were issued for exports to China, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

While it said many of the licenses were for items “not readily usable” for internal repression, the committees said a “surprisingly large” number of licenses were issued to exporters sending arms to countries where human rights are a concern.

The scale of the licenses “puts into stark relief the inherent conflict between the government’s arms exports and human rights policies,” said John Stanley, chairman of the committees.

“The committees adhere to their previous recommendation that the government should apply significantly more cautious judgments when considering arms export license applications for goods to authoritarian regimes ‘which might be used to facilitate internal repression’ in contravention of the government’s stated policy.”

In response to the report, the British government stressed it takes its export responsibilities “very seriously” and that it has “one of the most rigorous arms export control regimes,” under which licenses are not granted when there is deemed to be a risk that goods would be used for internal repression or to provoke or prolong conflict in the countries they are exported to.

The government added in a statement that all of the licenses highlighted in the committees’ report had been “fully assessed” against a range of strident criteria to ensure goods would not be used for internal repression, to provoke or prolong conflict within a country, used aggressively against another country or risk Britain’s national security.

The Committees on Arms Export Controls is made up of the House of Commons defense, foreign affairs, international development and business, innovation and skills committees.

Report from House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Control
July 2013

EXTRACTS

THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION

20. The Committees recommend, in relation to the Chemical Weapons Convention, that the Government states what specific steps it will take to try to secure accession to the Convention by those 8 states who have not done so thus far, namely Angola, Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria.

THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY

22. On the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Committees recommend that the Government states what specific steps it is taking with each of the remaining 8 countries whose signature and ratification is necessary to enable the CTBT to enter into force—namely China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the USA—to try to persuade them to ratify the CTBT.

ARMS EXPORTS TO COUNTRIES OF CONCERN*
26. [ Israel (and the OPT) was awarded SIELS to the value of £7,878,776,714, by far the most lucrative of all countries of concern to which the UK exports military material.(SIELS are Standard Individual Export Licences, in which the destination, company and end-user have to be named. Export licences are issued by the Export Control Organisation, a department of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.) The second most valuable export market amongst countries of concern, by value of SIELS, was Saudi Arabia, at 1,863,182,251.

CLUSTER MUNITIONS

67. The Committees recommend that in its Response the Government states:
c) what steps it is taking to encourage the United States, Russia, China and Israel to become signatories and/or to ratify the Convention;

THE MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME

73. The Government has stated that the main missile technology exporters who remain outside the Missile Technology Control Regime include China, Israel, India and Pakistan. The Committees recommend that the Government states in its Response with which of those countries it has had, or will be having, discussions about membership of the MTCR.

THE NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP

75. The Government has stated that the major technology holders who remain outside of the Nuclear Suppliers Group include India, Pakistan and Israel, and that suppliers of dual-use technology who are not members include the UAE, Malaysia and Singapore. The Committees recommend that the Government states in its Response with which of those countries it has had, or will be having, discussions about membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC)

78. The Committees recommend that the Government states in its Response:

a) how far it considers that its objectives for the Chemical Weapons Review Conference as set out in the Written Answer of FCO Minister Alistair Burt on 26 March 2013 were, or were not, fulfilled; and

b) what specific steps it will take to try to secure accession to the Convention by those 8 states who have not done so thus far, namely Angola, Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria.

THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY

82. The Committees recommend that the Government states in its Response what specific steps it is taking with each of the remaining 8 countries whose signature and ratification is necessary to enable the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to enter into force—namely China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the USA—to try to persuade them to ratify the CTBT.

BA MIDDLE EAST WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION FREE ZONE

84. The Committees recommend that the Government states in its Response:

a) when it expects the planned regional conference to discuss a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone to take place;

b) what are the current positions of Iran and Israel on attending this conference; and

c) what steps it is taking to try to ensure this Conference takes place.

99. The Committees have made individual Recommendations in respect of 16 out of the 32 Countries of concern. These 16 Countries of concern are: Afghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Argentina, Bahrain, Egypt, Madagascar and Tunisia. These individual Recommendations are set out in paragraphs 385 to 501 in the Memorandum from the Chairman of the Committees.

ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

105. The Committees recommend that the Government in its Response to this Report states whether it is satisfied that none of the 381 extant UK export licences to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:

a) contravenes the Government’s stated policy that: “We will not issue licences where we judge there is a clear risk that the proposed export might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts, or which might be used to facilitate internal repression”; or

b) is currently in contravention of any of the arms exports Criteria set out in the UK’s Consolidated Criteria and the EU Common Position

including those extant licences to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories for: all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection; body armour, components for body armour, military helmets, components for pistols, components for body armour, components for all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection, components for assault rifles, components for pistols, components for equipment employing cryptography, components for military communications equipment, cryptographic software, equipment employing cryptography, software for equipment employing cryptography, software for the use of equipment employing cryptography, general military vehicle components, military support vehicles, small arms ammunition, technology for equipment employing cryptography, technology for the development of equipment employing cryptography, technology for the use of equipment employing cryptography, weapon sights, military communications equipment and components for small arms ammunition.

Notes and links

* FCO countries of concernThe FCO has increased the list of 27 to 30 with the addition of the three countries in square brackets

The Committees on Arms Export Controls consist of four select committees meeting and working together: Business, Innovation and Skills; Defence; Foreign Affairs; and International Development Committees.

Special Topic: Israel’s Weapons a Crime on Humanity

References, resources, related news and updates below this article

In an article of March 4, Richard Lightbown argues that Israel’s use of depleted uranium, white phosphorus and other toxic metals in its war on the people of the Gaza Strip has put the whole of the Strip’s population and its environment – air, soil, groundwater and possibly seawater – at risk of serious long-term injury and contamination.

Effects of White Phosphorus – Click to enlarge

Press TV on 4 March 2011 reported that cancer cases in Gaza had increased by 30 per cent, and that there was a link between the occurrence of the disease and residence in areas that had been badly hit by Israeli bombing. Zekra Ajour from the Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights told the channel that Gaza had been a testing ground for illegal weapons.

Birth defects

On 20 December 2009 Al-Dameer had published another paper in Arabic on the increase in the number of babies born in Gaza with birth defects, thought to be the result of radioactive and toxic materials from Operation Cast Lead.1 The birth defects included incomplete hearts and malformations of the brain. During August, September and October 2008 the number of cases had been 27. In the comparable months in 2009 the numbers had risen to 47. There was a similar rise in aborted foetuses. Al-Dameer had called for scientific monitoring throughout the Gaza Strip to obtain statistics on deformed foetus cases relating to the intentional use of internationally banned weapons.

Similar dramatic increases in birth defects over a longer period have been recorded in Iraq and have been linked to widespread use of depleted uranium (DU) weapons. (It is reported that local midwives no longer look forward to births as they don’t know what is going to come out.)

Depleted uranium

“Depleted uranium burns at almost 1200 degrees Celsius. (TNT by comparison burns at 576 degrees Celsius.) At this temperature the fire vaporizes any metals in the target which in combination with uranium are released into the air in aerosol form. After deposition the aerosols have the potential to contaminate groundwater.”

Although the epidemiologist Professor Alastair Hay told the BBC in March 2010 that it was difficult to suggest any particular cause for the trend,2 scientific data has been published which contradicts his opinion. A review in Environmental Health in 20053 concluded by saying:

Regarding the teratogenicity of parental prenatal exposure to DU aerosols, the evidence, albeit imperfect, indicates a high probability of substantial risk. Good science indicates that depleted uranium weapons should not be manufactured or exploded.

When later asked in the same interview about white phosphorus, Prof. Hay had replied;

…phosphorus is an essential element in our bodies and so you would I think have to ingest a huge amount to cause any particular problem. But there has been no investigation anywhere that I am aware of to link phosphorus with health problems…

Apparently the professor has not read the Goldstone Report of the previous year which states in paragraph 896:

Medical staff reported to the mission how even working in the areas where the phosphorus had been used made them feel sick, their lips would swell and they would become extremely thirsty and nauseous.

The toxicity of phosphorus is also recorded in a report by New York medical staff:4

Oral ingestion of white phosphorus in humans has been demonstrated to result in pathologic changes to the liver and kidneys. The ingestion of a small quantity of white phosphorus can cause gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Individuals with a history of oral ingestion have been noted to pass phosphorus-laden stool (“smoking stool syndrome”). The accepted lethal dose is 1 mg/kg, although the ingestion of as little as 15 mg has resulted in death.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that breathing white phosphorus for long periods causes “phossy jaw”, a condition in which there is poor wound healing of the mouth and breakdown of the jawbone.5

Note OccupiedPalestine: Dec 5, 2012 Israel rejects UN call to open its nuclear programm up for international inspection – (Source)Yet the same day is reported that Israel’s ‘denied’ nuke sites:

Depleted uranium in US-supplied bunker-buster bombs

Evidence of the use of depleted uranium against Gaza is tenuous and Goldstone merely recorded in paragraph 907 that it had received allegations which it had not further investigated. Much of this evidence came from Action des citoyens pour le désarmement nucléaire (ACDN: Citizens Action for Nuclear Disarmament). Their report of July 2009 hypothesizes that the GBU-39 bunker-buster bomb is packed with 75 kilogram of depleted uranium. (A UNEP report also ambiguously refers to bunker-buster bombs containing depleted uranium.) The US delivery of 1,000 of these bombs to Israel arrived in early December 2008 shortly before the start of the war. The GBU-39 is considered one of the world’s most precise bombs and Boeing, the manufacturer, claims that the bomb will penetrate three feet of steel-reinforced concrete. (UNEP suggests that it can penetrate reinforced concrete to depths ranging from 1.8 to over 6 metres.) Boeing’s patent on the weapon mentions depleted uranium.6

It is not known how many bunker-buster bombs were used against Gaza but it seems reasonable to assume that the number could run into hundreds. It is thought that they were used mostly in the Philadelphia corridor against the tunnels. Desmond Travers, the former Irish army officer who was a member of the Goldstone Commission, would only say that depleted uranium may have been used during the war, although he did agree that it would have been well suited for attacking the tunnels where maximum penetration would have been desired.7 He was also in agreement with ACDN that the use of below-ground targets would have considerably reduced the levels of aerosol uranium that was dispersed into the air.

Col Raymond Lane, who is chief instructor of ordnance with the Irish armed forces, gave testimony to the Goldstone Commission on weapons used in the Gaza conflict. He told the commission that he had no expertise of depleted uranium and so had not investigated it. He gave no reason for his failure to bring in specialist expertise to investigate the subject.8

In April 2009 Jean-François Fechino from ACDN was part of a four-person team which went to Gaza for the Arab Commission for Human Rights. Samples that the team brought back were analysed by a specialist laboratory which identified carcinogens: depleted uranium, caesium, asbestos dust, tungsten and aluminium oxide. Thorium oxide was also found, which is radioactive, as are depleted uranium and caesium. The analysis also identified phosphates and copper, along with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are a health hazard, especially to children, asthmatics and elders.9

Depleted uranium burns at almost 1200 degrees Celsius. (TNT by comparison burns at 576 degrees Celsius.)10 At this temperature the fire vaporizes any metals in the target which in combination with uranium are released into the air in aerosol form. After deposition the aerosols have the potential to contaminate groundwater. (The Gaza aquifer, which is the Strip’s only water source, is also connected to ground water supplies in Egypt, although water only flows into Gaza from Israel.11)

There is empirical documentation that the aerosols can travel up to 42 Km and theoretical documentation that they can travel further. Sderot is about 43 kilometres from the Philadelphia corridor and less than five kilometres from Beit Hanoun. In consequence, it may be that the activities of Israel’s air force have created a greater threat to the Israeli city than all of the 8,000 well-publicized rockets from Gaza ever have.

Depleted uranium accumulation has been recorded in the bone, kidney, reproductive system, brain and lung. It is carcinogenic, toxic to the kidneys, damaging to cellular DNA and causes malformations to an embryo or foetus.

White phosphorus

“Doctors found that when they removed bandages applied to a wound that still contained fragments of white phosphorous, smoke would come from the wound since the chemical continues to burn as long as it is in contact with oxygen.”

Although an Israeli army spokesman told CNN on 7 January 2009, “I can tell you with certainty that white phosphorus is absolutely not being used.” the chemical had been used by Israeli forces since the beginning of the war.12 The Goldstone Report stated that Israeli sources later claimed their forces had stopped using white phosphorous on 7 January 2009 because of international concerns. This was also untrue as there is evidence that it had been used after that date. Goldstone declared the Israeli armed forces to have been “systematically reckless” in using white phosphorous in built-up areas (paragraphs 884, 886 and 890).

Difficulty in detecting the extent of damage to tissue and organs gave serious problems to medical staff trying to treat white phosphorus injuries. Several patients died as a result. Doctors found that when they removed bandages applied to a wound that still contained fragments of white phosphorous, smoke would come from the wound since the chemical continues to burn as long as it is in contact with oxygen. White phosphorous sticks to tissue so that all flesh and sometimes muscle around the burn would have to be cut out. The substance is also highly toxic (Goldstone paragraphs 892/4/5/6).

An article published in The Lancet included photographs of a young man who was admitted to hospital in Gaza with white phosphorous burns on 30 per cent of his body. The day after admission smoke was noticed coming from the wounds and the patient was rapidly transferred to the operating room for removal of dead tissue and removal of white phosphorus particles. During the operation a particle of the chemical was dislodged and caused a superficial burn on a nurse’s neck. The patient survived.13

Col Lane testified that although white phosphorus gave the best quality of smoke for military purposes it was “horrible stuff” and the Irish army had stopped using it 20 years previously. He recounted how the British army had sea-dumped quantities of the material off the coast of southwest. Scotland in the 1950s, some of which had been washed up on the coast of Ireland by a storm in 2007. It had ignited on drying (the colonel had witnessed this himself) and in one instance a child had suffered burns as a result.

Other toxic materials

Mass spectrometry analysis conducted by the New Weapons Research Group (NWRG) found aluminium, titanium, strontium, barium, cobalt and mercury in biopsies taken from white phosphorus wounds at Shifaa Hospital, Gaza. (Aluminium, barium and mercury have potential for lethal and intoxicating effects; aluminium and mercury can cause chronic pathologies over time; mercury is carcinogenic for humans; cobalt can cause mutations; and aluminium is fetotoxic, i.e. injurious to foetuses.)14

White phosphorus bombs are built with alternating sectors of white phosphorus and aluminium. Analysis by NWRC of the powder from a shell near Al-Wafa Hospital in Gaza also found high levels of molybdenum, tungsten and mercury. Tungsten and mercury are carcinogenic, while molybdenum is toxic to sperms.

In a report appropriately entitled “Gaza Strip, soil has been contaminated due to bombings: population in danger”, NWRG also conducted analyses of two craters caused by bombs in 2006 and two others by bombs in 2009. In the 2006 craters they identified tungsten, mercury and molybdenum, while in the 2009 craters at Tufah they discovered molybdenum, cadmium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper and zinc. Cadmium and some nickel and manganese compounds are carcinogenic.15

NWRG has further conducted research of hair samples from 95 children resident in heavily bombed areas of Gaza. Again using mass spectrometry the study identified the carcinogenic or toxic metals chromium, cadmium, cobalt, tungsten and uranium. One wounded individual also had unusually high levels of lead. The study found the results alarming and considered the levels could be pathogenic in situations of chronic exposure. Thirty-nine of the examinees were recommended for further checks.16

DIME weapons, soil contamination and cancer

“DIME bombs cause a high proportion of amputations particularly of legs, while patients often suffered internal burns as well.”

It has been reported that soil in the area of a DIME (dense inert metal explosive) bomb blast may remain barren for an indefinite period of time because of contamination from heavy metal tungsten alloy.17 The same material in trial rapidly caused tumours in 100 per cent of rats when used at both low and high doses, with the tumours spreading to the lungs, necessitating euthanasia.18

DIME weapons were first used against Gaza by Israeli drones in the summer of 2006, when Palestinian medical personnel reported that it significantly increased the fatality rate among victims.19 Shortly after the DIME weapons were also trialled during the first week of the war in Lebanon in July 2006.

The Goldstone Commission was unable to confirm that DIME munitions were used by Israeli forces during Operation Cast Lead. Col Lane had told the commission in testimony that there was no actual proof. He then went on to testify that he had been given samples in Gaza which analysis in Dublin had shown to contain DIME materials consisting mostly of tungsten with traces of iron and sulphur. He was of the opinion that ordnance had been used that had some sort of DIME component. He also mentioned that he had read of unusual amputations, and that tungsten and cobalt would have this effect. Weaponry had been found with DIME components which was capable of amputation and there are Palestinian amputees, yet neither Col Lane nor the commission was prepared to say that DIME weapons had been used by Israeli forces.

DIME bombs cause a high proportion of amputations particularly of legs, while patients often suffered internal burns as well. The bombs consist of powdered tungsten alloy mixed with an explosive material inside a casing which disintegrates on explosion. The tungsten powder tears apart anything it hits including soft tissue and bone, causing very severe injuries. Tungsten alloy particles, described as “finely powdered micro-shrapnel”, are too small to be extracted from the victim’s body and are highly carcinogenic. (Goldstone, paragraphs 902-4)

No weapons fragments can be found from DIME bombs with standard diagnostic resources, despite the indication of heavy metals from this type of injuries. Mass spectrometry analyses by NWRG of biopsies from amputation injuries revealed aluminium, titanium, copper, strontium, barium, cobalt, mercury, vanadium, caesium, tin, arsenic, manganese, rubidium, cadmium, chromium, zinc and nickel. Doctors reported that it was difficult to determine the extent of dead tissue (which it is vital to remove). This resulted in higher rates of deep infection, subsequent amputation and higher mortality.20

The wide range of heavy metals discovered by analysis in casualties, residents and soil in Gaza suggests that other unidentified weapons may have also been trialled. (The Sensor Fuzed Weapon has been suggested as one such technological perversion that the Israeli forces may have used.21)

The whole Gaza population and their environment, including generations yet to be conceived, have been put at risk of serious long-term injury from heavy metal pollution of the air, soil and groundwater (and possibly the seawater too), while the causal pollution is likely to cross state borders into Egypt and even into Israel. Reassurances of the legitimate and responsible use and the reduced lethality of weapons (an opinion in part shared by Col Lane) are callous and inadequate in the context of the dangerous reality that has resulted. Meanwhile, the impacts of Israel’s illegal assaults on Gaza remain ignored and its deeds uncensored by the wider international community.

What is hidden even more

These lists, do not display the avoidable mortality. A clear and statistical factual evidence, about the number of deaths due to indecent ruling by occupation forces. For even an occupier has obligations under International Laws, Geneva Convention and the Hague regulations, which it is neglecting. These circumstances, together with deliberate policies of the occupier to neglect and even deny every basic human right, severes avoidable mortality which is totally silenced by media or reporting organisations. While in the Holocaust, 1 on 6 Jewish people directly died of deliberate neglect, so if we believe the facts over 1 million due to avoidable mortality, neither should these same circumstances be ignores which are ongoing in Palestine. For this report displays a avoidable morality of at least 0,5 million Palestinians.

How many more dead corpses of Palestinians does the international community need to see in order to act? How many more cruelties and violations of Human Rights, Regulations and International Law will be needed to intervene so this ongoing warcrime is being stopped once and for all?

The Rockets from Gaza Excuse

The Facts
So you only read melodramatic stories about home made unguided firecrackers flying from Gaza, zionism magnifying the flares untill the average ignorant thinks we’re talking 12 meter high nuclear head detonation (chemical nuclear or toxic) loaded warhead carrrying long range missiles.

While in fact, the “TENS OF THOUSANDS ROCKETS” which are allegedly “launched” by Gaza are non detonating, non guided and seldom hit any target at all regarding the alleged number of “rockets” we can easily state it is more a matter of high unlikely a Gaza rocket hits anything at all even more unlikely the chances it will kill.

So let’s behold, the tens of thousands rockets which allegedly were launched: They killed 21 people if internationals counted as well, including Palestinians 29. 29 death from 10′s of thousands of rockets in 10 years, and 29 too many too.

To retaliate these deaths Israel commits the following attacks (kindly notice, all related posts are covered by media, reports and international organisations:

So you did read in worldwide newspapers and media about a home made flare or “flying” from Gaza towards the occupied desert?

But you never read about the DAILY attacks by army, airforce, navy, police, intelligence, undercover agents AND settlers which happen on land from the air and from and on the sea in Gaza as well as in the West Bank? The tens of thousands rockets from Gaza killed as said 29 people inside occupied territories in 10 years.

But #US is keeping the facts from the people, serving Israel and silencing while The power of lies, deceptions and disinformation as Americans pay the price of collective stupidity which is funneled up by their gov’t. Silencing the facts the giv’t knows too well:The Facts US is aware of and hiding for you

Deaths at Checkpoints
You only hear of death or possible death at a checkpoint, when a pregnant American reporter get’s forced 3 times after eachother to go through the X-Ray at a checkpoint.
Only than, media makes a little noise about possible (!) danger for the foetus. 18.000 women a year develop complications due to this policies and 35 children have died since start of monitoring of the effects of obstruction or entrance to medical aid

(This list only displays the direct reported effects of death by policies or denial to healthcare, while te real avoidable mortality rate due to deliberate deprivation of basic needs is much higher.)

For a comparision: During the Holocaust 1 in 6 Jewish people died due to deliberate deprivation of Nazi policies, causing death of 1 million Jewish people. A warcrime. Remembered every year. And this is justified to remember people which are slain in the awful Nazi war

Aside from the number of deaths in Palestine, it is widely silenced that Israel not only in Palestine cause many deaths, but also in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and beyond.

Geneva Convention

Articles 55 and 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly establish that Israel, as the occupying power, not only has a duty toensure medical supplies reach hospitals in the OPT, but to ensure and maintain the services of the hospitals too. As High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, other states not only have a moral duty but also a legal obligation to ensure Israel abides by its commitments to the protected population of the OPT.

UN Convention of the Rights of the Child

As a States Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel is obliged under Article 24 of the treaty to recognise the right of every child under its effective jurisdiction “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services”.

That is is deliberate targeted to Palestinians may be proven by the fact that Israel donates streetlights to African countries to prevent traffic deaths, but demolishes ‘Imneizils (by Spain funded) solar systems which also provide the hospital, schools and the whole village of basic electricity needs:If Israel would be able to “turn off” the sun above #Palestine, It would” ~ in pictures

But Israel has become exactly as those it feared and hated once themselves. Than it accused beginning of December 2011 Ireland for being the most hostile country in the EU, because it compared Israeli soldiers to Nazis. You make the comparision. Judge for yourself:HaShoah versus Al Nakba – in pictures

As you can read in the previous post these weapons not only kill instantly but also have long term risk effects for health, can cause diseases and/or death in the end. (even in Egypt and Israel itsaelf)

Only(!) during the war 2008-2009, Gaza police have put the weight of weapons dropped on the Strip by Israel during the war two years ago at over 3000 tons.

Tahseen Saad, head of the police force’s explosives engineering unit, indicated that a lot of the weapons used were illegal under international law. Occupation forces used different types of bombs with the most significant ones weighing between 150 – 500 Kg. Most controversial weapons were/are used including white phosphorous bombs which are illegal to use in populated areas.

Furtheron Israel used an assortment of missiles, such as anti-tank guided missiles, against civilians and their vehicles. Israeli army used bombs that dispersed red smoke made up of explosives and tungsten. When the bomb is dropped it sprayed a liquid which creates fog and in less than a second it disappears and the bomb explodes.

The effect of the weapons is not limited to killing. Weapons containing materials that are forbidden under international accords, such as phosphorous, tungsten and uranium, spread cancer in the targeted population, destroy nature and cause terrible burns and amputations. Some of the consequences, like foetal abnormalities, are not immediately apparent.

So next time you see Israel telling, they had another rocket “attack” remember it has the most advanced Iron Dome system which indeed intercepts missiles if there are any REAL ones.

Remember also. Gaza… does have no dome at all. No iron dome, and no dome of Human Rights. It is indiscriminately bombed by F16′s, surveilled and attacked by drones, shelled by tanks, shelled & bombed by navy ships, from coast or at sea, and invasions on the land occur almost daily.
All the above is just a fraction of aggression regarding to the presumptions about the so called waves of rockets from Gaza and to put this into a more realistic perspective.

This is by no means a complete overview and this list can be made exhausting if we go name all passive and direct aggression, oppression in any way imaginable which Israel or it’s settlers impose on Palestinians.

The Right to Self-Defense of Palestine

For who does still not understand the (need or concept of) resistance of Palestine recommended read:The Eagle of Palestine

The average civilian in Palestine has no more of self defense than a stone he or she can throw.
24 Years ago Palestinians massively engaged in civil disobedience and we’re heavily suppressed, which happens even today. Even last friday a unarmed civilian protester Mustafa Tamimi was murdered by the Israeli army. There is still not even evidence he even had a stone.

The First Intifada | انتفاضة – in pictures
24 Years later Palestinians living under occupation for 64 years now, still only have a stone, and some flares while the daily disproportional violence and aggression of the occupier, the collective punishment and the daily oppression and exiling is influencing 11 Million Lives in Palestine but most still outside, unable to return to their home.

While International Law – Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

UDHR Art 13(1)
“Everyone has the right 2 freedom of movement & residence within the borders of each state”

UDHR Art 13(2)
” Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”

UDHR 17:(2)
“No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”

UDHR 20(1)
“Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”

UDHR Art 5:
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

UDHR Art 3:
“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person

UDHR 15:1
“Everyone has the right to a nationality”

All of the Human Rights above, are not valid in Palestine. Just because Israel unilateral decided Palestinians have no rights at all, of no kind at all. Even when this means they pretend to be a Jewish state, violating not even international law, regulations, but also every divine law.

Something to ponder about…
For who not sees or who’s eyes are still closes. IOA has become exactly and even worse than those, they feared and hated once themselves. Using the same atrocities, policies to oppress, ethnically cleanse and eradicate human beings. Creating a new Shoah (Holocaust) for the Palestinians in 1948 with Al Nakba, and sustaining it by hasbara and the world’s ignorance or at least those not using their own mind to reconsider the realistic facts. So Hasbara in 16 words explained:

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it…”
~ Joseph Goebbels